General

Are these exact versions of Mr. Darcy or Spock?

No. The essence of the character, not a replica, is what we're writing. Check out Character Creation for more.

Is the real world OUR real world?

Mostly. Consider it an alternate version of our world, with one main exception - movies, books and TV shows exist in the mortal world, just as they do in Musings, but if a character is in play, that work does not exist.

Instead of the fiction we are familiar with, there are analogues - for example, they have G-Men comics instead of X-Men comics, Beetleman instead of Spiderman, Hubris and Elitism instead of Pride and Prejudice. They’re like the off-brand knock-offs at the grocery store - the recipe is the same, but the packaging is different.

Can my character leave Seattle?

Yes, but they need to be residents of one of the three buildings on the 'network' to remain in the game. They can, however, travel.

Where are the portals?

The portals are located throughout Musings (they tend to move around and disappear at times), but they all exit at the exact same place in the human world - just outside Verisimilitude in Seattle, which is why the concentration of Creations in the area is so high.

Can my character return to Musings?

No. If/when Musings is a location that can be visited, it will revealed in-game.

Musings

What is Musings like?

Musings is an exact geographical mirror of the human world, down to the states, cities and roads. If your character grows up in Georgia in Musings, they're going to have an accent and do all the things a character that grew up in Georgia in the mortal world does. If your character grows up in the Musings version of your hometown, they would be able to see and do all the things you can.

So, Musings is just like Earth?

Everyone in Musings is 'human.' The main difference between Musings and our world is that the characters reach a 'definitive' age, based on the definitive age of their essence, and they do not age further. They can die if killed, but their bodies will not age past that point, and they cannot die of natural causes (like illness and old age). For them, that's normal. It's always been that way. They would consider our version of aging strange.

However, since the inhabitants of Musings are all the essences of stories, they are bound to live more dramatic and extraordinary lives than we do. It wouldn’t be strange, for example, for the essence of the Joker to be a maniacal serial killer in Musings, just like it wouldn’t be strange for Superman to be a heroic government spy.

Are there superheros and supernatural things in Musings?

There is no magic in Musings and there are no superheroes, simply because no one there has abilities. However, there are heroes and villains, just because of the nature of the essences, and certain types of crime (like vigilantism, for example) are more prominent. The fact that no one dies via normal means makes for a world where people live longer, live riskier, and where all deaths are criminal or accidental.

What is crime like in Musings then?

Crime in Musings is worse than in the human world, as the characters of our fiction works tend to be more extreme and more dynamic than standard, everyday society is. If one considers the fact that the FBI believes there to be 50 active serial killers in the United States at any time, and then thinks about how very many fictional serial killers there are, one can see how crime would take on a different cast in a world where everything is based on the fiction that frightens and titillates. Conversely, while our world has no real vigilante heroes in it, Musings is likely to have its fair share. Of course, not everyone who is based on a superhero is going to end up being a vigilante, the same way that everyone who is based on a serial killer will not turn out the same way, but the luck of the draw, as it were, has the odds loaded in favor of more extreme people doing more extreme things.

Since people do not die natural deaths in Musings and extreme crime such as serial murder is more common, the crime actually serves a sick, strange purpose - to keep the immortal population from overwhelming the world they live in. No one, of course, condones this. Death is a different thing but still a very frightening one. As far as the structure of the world, however, extreme crime is considered a fact of life in the way that petty crime is a fact of life in our world, and it is a generally accepted fact that if you do die you will most likely die by the hands of someone else, or by some unfortunate accident.

What is the law and the justice system like in Musings, with all these essences running around?

Crime and the justice system in Musings is exactly the same as in the human world. Criminals are sent to prison and the death sentence is determined by each individual state. Laws are the same as in our world, and the same things are illegal. Vigilantes, like Batman, who go after wrongdoers are still working on the outskirts of society.What about the source texts? Do they have access to/know them?

By merely existing, the Creations basically cancel out the source text. In Musings, for example, Batman can be a man who calls himself the Batman without anyone thinking he is in anyway related to the source, because the source doesn’t exist there. He himself has never read it, and no one has ever heard of it.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the Creations are exact replicas of their source work. In fact, exactly replicas do not exist in Musings at all. Batman, as mentioned above, might not have a Bruce Wayne persona at all, for example.

Are Creations paired up/matched with their fellow story Creations in Musings?

Not unless you want them to be.

In Musings, there is no source work and no knowledge of their stories. Mr. Darcy, for example, has no idea he’s supposed to fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet there. Whether or not your character falls for their source work counterpart is entirely up to you. We want Clark Kent and Lois Lane to fall in love because they like each other, not because their source work says that they should.

Is there a president? Is the government the same?

There is a president, but who it is isn’t really important. Let’s just call him ‘The President.’

Does humanity know about Musings?

No. If you have any questions about the current level of information, feel free to hit the drop box before writing your application.